The Licensing Sub-Committee of Newham Council met on Tuesday 14 April 2026 to review the premises licence for 2 Boundary Road, East Ham. The committee decided to suspend the premises licence for six weeks and remove the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

Review of Premises Licence for 2 Boundary Road, East Ham E13 9PR

The committee heard an application for the review of the premises licence for 2 Boundary Road, East Ham E13 9PR, following submissions from the Trading Standards Team and the Licensing Enforcement Team.

Trading Standards Officer George McDougal presented evidence of illicit tobacco found on the premises during an operation on 11 September 2025. He detailed how officers forced entry into a locked storage area where 32,540 illicit cigarettes and 0.5kg of hand-rolling tobacco were seized. Further illicit tobacco had been found in a filing cabinet in an upstairs room during a previous visit on 6 September 2022. Mr McDougal also noted the discovery of three bottles of Bell's Whiskey with security tags removed, suggesting they may have been stolen goods. He highlighted that the premises licence holder, Premcy Somadas, had been cautioned and had refused to sign seizure notices. Mr McDougal also detailed attempts to interview Mr and Mrs Somadas regarding the 2022 seizure, which were hampered by the need for a Malayalam interpreter.

Licensing Enforcement Officer Shane Passfield submitted a representation concerning public nuisance, public safety, and the protection of children from harm. He stated that he had observed a known street drinker purchase high-strength cider from the premises and then consume it near the Bobby Moore statue. He also noted the presence of alcohol containers littered in the area surrounding the shop. Community Safety Enforcement Officers Steve Aka and Shaunagh White provided statements corroborating that street drinkers had purchased alcohol from Nandanam Convenience Store, specifically mentioning Black Storm Cider.

Representing Premcy Somadas, solicitor Nathaniel Gadsby argued that Ms Somadas had no knowledge of the illicit tobacco and that it belonged to a tenant, Erman Dogan, who lived in a flat above the shop. Mr Gadsby presented CCTV footage showing Mr Dogan confronting Ms Somadas and demanding compensation for the seized tobacco. He also submitted statements from Mr Dogan admitting to selling illicit tobacco, from Mr Dogan's friend Emre Seyitoglu, and from the landlord, Ayoob Nazimudeen, who confirmed Mr Dogan was the tenant and that his lease had been terminated following the incident. Mr Gadsby highlighted that Ms Somadas had an otherwise unblemished record and that revoking the licence would severely impact her livelihood. He proposed alternative options to revocation, such as imposing new conditions or a period of suspension.

Following deliberation, the Sub-Committee decided to suspend the premises licence for six weeks. They also decided to remove Premcy Somadas as the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS). A number of conditions will be communicated to the licence holder in writing within five working days. The committee noted that this was a difficult decision but that the suspension would provide an opportunity for training and for other conditions to be met, allowing the business to start fresh.